Group of interviews and montage including community members and leaders for the Champions of Freedom gala held by the the Jewish Federation of Las Vegas.
The Burt and Wilma Bass photographs and programs mainly document the Bass’ involvement in the Jewish community of Las Vegas, Nevada, as well as their personal and professional lives. Images date from 1976 to 1987 and are entirely digital.
Oral history interviews with Tyrone L. Seals conducted by Claytee D. White and Sarah Beth Hawkins on April 25, 2016 and May 16, 2016 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In the first interview, Seals discusses his upbringing in Las Vegas, Nevada and growing up in the Westside. He talks about experiencing discrimination, employment limitations, and entertainment on Jackson Street. In the second interview, Seals remembers school integration, organizations for African American women, and protests during the 1960s. Lastly, Seals discusses the significance of religion in the African American community and becoming a pastor.
Oral history interview with Maria Banks conducted by Barbara Hoyt on September 23, 1972 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Banks discusses her experiences managing a jukebox company, owning and operating two restaurants, and working for a music company. She also discusses her Mormon religion and the relationship she had with her late husband. Banks also discusses the change in climate over time, specifically the increasing humidity.
On February 29, 1980, Annie Shum interviewed Lilly Fong about her experiences as an educator and resident in Southern Nevada. Born in Superior, Arizona in 1926, Fong would eventually move to Las Vegas after marrying her husband, Wing Fong. Prior to this move, she received her education in both China and Arizona; she later completed her master’s degree in education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). In the interview, Fong talks briefly about her background and eventual move to Las Vegas. She describes how her educational career started at the historic Fifth Street School as a third grade teacher in 1950. Fong also lists several organizations of which she was a part, including the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and the American Association of University Women (AAUW). Fong also mentioned that she and her husband opened their own Chinese restaurant, Fong’s Garden, on East Charleston Boulevard in 1955. Later in the interview, Fong describes her campaign for the Nevada State Board of Regents in 1974 where she would make several accomplishments in the development of UNLV, including the building of its Fine Arts Complex. Fong later talks about Chinese traditions in which she would take part as well as her life in China from 1930 to 1937. The interview concludes with Fong’s thoughts on the Asian Studies program at UNLV and her personal perspective on religion.